You walk in the door from an exhausting day of work, pop your shoes off, throw your feet up on the couch, and instead of simmering in relaxing silence, you’re surrounded by clutter that seems to be shouting at you from every crevice. It’s a familiar story, and we’ve all been there in one room or another.

Clutter is stressful and burdensome, but taking the time to clear it up will bring harmony to your home and your mind. Say “ahhh” with these eight tips for clearing your clutter. 

Make a Home for Everything

Every item you own should have a distinct resting place—mail, loose papers, pens, purses. Even candles need a well-planned nook. After everything is in its rightful place, unnecessary items will start to show their faces, and you can begin to pile up and remove anything that doesn’t fit.

Don’t have a lot of room to work with? Buy items like the Mesa Storage Cube for multifunctional furniture.

Say Goodbye to Clones

Some of us have two, three, or 10 of everything. It’s okay to keep a few spares of something in case it breaks, but if your extremely durable items have a twin (seven HDMI cables and three toasters are a few too many), odds are you can part ways.

1, 2, 3… Bags

If you’ve got a lot to sift through and you’re having trouble deciding what goes and what stays, put three large garbage bags in different areas of your home and make a goal to fill them all up in an hour. After loading up, say your goodbyes and take everything that makes it into the bags to your nearest donation station.

One Room at a Time

Tackle your clutter situation room by room. In your kitchen, evaluate just how many bowls, spatulas, or coffee cups you truly need to operate. How many sets of sheets are crammed away in your linen closet? Don’t skip the bathroom toiletries or makeup, either.

Plan Better When Shopping

Many find themselves at checkout with a cartful of items, only to return home with things they already own! Before shopping, make a list and check your house—twice. Be sure you’re not replenishing stock that doesn’t need to be replenished.

The Three Big Questions

Ultimately, every item in your home should face a simple test. Consider evaluating the necessity of each item by asking three simple questions:

1. Do I love this item/is it extremely memorable to me?
2. Do I ever use it?
3. Will I ever need to use it?

Go Digital

We all have a closet or storage area we avoid because it’s piled to the brim with old papers, documents, and records we’ll need for the future. The truth is, the important items such as social security cards, immunization records, and the like typically fit neatly into a single folder. Consider taking an entire day to scan old documents, photos, and anything else you don’t need a hard copy of.

If You Can’t Bear to Part With It, Store It

Lastly, if it’s just too difficult to part with something in your home, but you’re still feeling like a clogged drain, invest in a storage unit. You can lighten the load on your living area while keeping your items, and who knows? Years down the line, you may pony up for a bigger space where the rest of your stuff will find a happy home.

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